End-gate fastener.



C W STARK BND GATE Hmmm.

` APPLICATION :FILED MAY 5, 1908-. 907,909. Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

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` 'JNI/ENTOR `W- Smm c. W. STARK. END GATE FASTENER.' 4 APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1908.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

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CHARLES STARK, `OF MOUNTAINLAKE, MINNESOTA.

END-GATE FASTENER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 5, 1908.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Serial No. 430,985.

To all 'whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. STARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mountain Lake, in the county of Cottonwood and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in End- Gate Fasteners; and l do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. l

My invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in fastening means for end gates and isadapted more particularly to be used in connection with wagonbox beds and my prime object is to provide means for readily securing the hinge sections of the end gate together to form a rigid structure.

A further object is to pivotally secure a spring-pressed latch to one part of .the end gate and in position to engage a receiving part on the o posite section of the end gate.

A still furt er object is to provide a guide for the swinging end of the latch, the upper end of which guide forms av bearing for a pressure spring and a still further Objectis to provide a combined guide and housing-for Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an end gate showing my improved securingmeans attached thereto. Fig. 2 is asectional view thereof as seen on line 2-.-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, as seen on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view as seen on line 4-7-4, Fig. 1. Fi 5 is a detail view of a portion of the lato guide removed from position.V Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of a portion of the latch showing the manner of directing spring pressure thereon, and, Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the combined guide and shield for the lower end ofthe spring.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate correspondingparts in the several views, 1 and2-indicate the sections of an end gate of that class primarily used for closing the end of a box bed, which sections are preferably secured together by means .of a hinge 3, whereby said sections may be introduced into or removed from position in the bed, by swinging said sections on their hinge.

Fixed to the section 1 and in position to overlap the hinged end of the section 2, is a bar 4, to which is pivotally secured a latch 5, one end of said latch being secured to the face of the bar 4, while the opposite end thereof is provided with a depending finger 6, which 'linger is adapted to engage a keeper 7 carried by the section 2, said keeper being secured to the section in any preferred manner, as by extending a stem 8 from the kee er and through the section 2, the free en of said stem being threaded to receive a nut 9, by which meanssaid keeper is secured to its respective section.

The free end of the bar 4 is of sufficient length to extend beyond the free end of the latch 5 and to permit the keeper to extend into the path of the finger 6, a notch 10 is formed in the free end of the bar 4, through which said kee )er extends when the sections 1 and 2 are in t eir closed positions and it will be readily seen that when the finger 6 is in engagement with the keeper, the sections 1 and 2 will be rigidly held against swinging movement on their `hinge and the ends of the sections held in engagement with their respecltive cleats (not shown).

The latch 5 is limited in its swinging and lateral movement by extending the4 same through a suitable guide, said guide com rising a plate 11, said plate being locate between the bar and the inner face of the latch 5, `a portion of the edges of said plate being provided with wings 12, which wings are extended at right angles to the longitudinal plane of the plate 11, thereby forming a recess 13 adjacent the upper end of said plate, in which rests the upper end of a spiral spring 14.

A stra 15 is secured over the plate 11 and is providled adjacent its ends with shoulders 16 and 17, the shoulder 16 being adjacent the lower end of the strap, which shoulder is adapted to limit downward swinging movement of the latch 5, while the shoulder 17 is adjacent the upper end of the strap and receives the upper end of the spring 14 and forms a bearing therefor, and as the spring is greater in diameter than the distance between the faces of the plate 11 and strap 15, the strap 15 is provided with a longitudinal channel 18, said channel being curved to iit the periphery of the spring, which, when the soY spring is seated therein, serves to hold the spring between the strap and plate and at the same time permit longitudinal compression thereof.

The edges of the straps 15 immediately over the wings 12, are struck inwardly to form flanges 22, which flanges are adapted to extend on opposite sides of the wings 12, whereby said wings will be held in their positions at right angles to the plane of the plate 11 and at the same time be materially reinforced.

As a portion of the spring 14 extends below the lower ends of the wings 12, l provide means for shielding the spring and at the same time retaining the lower end thereof in position to exert downward pressure on the latch, which consists oi' a substantially U-shaped clip 19, between the paralleling sections of which the lower end of the spring 14 is adapted to rest, while the connecting end of said clip is adapted to rest on the upper edge of the latch 5 and by making the clip of suflicient width to snugly lit between the wings 12, said clip will move upwardly between the wings when the latch is raised to release the finger 6 from the keeper 7 and by this means it will be seen that the spring will be held in alinement throughout its length and in position to direct tension on the latch 5 at all times.

The plate 11 and strap 15 are held in position at opposite sides of the latch 5 by means of bolts 20, which bolts extend through the plate and strap adjacent their ends, said bolts being also extended through the bar 4 to hold the strap and plate in position thereon.

In operating the latch, to remove the end gate, the hand-hold 21 is grasped and the free end of the latch elevated until the nger 6 is free of the lice er 7, when an outward pull is made on the atch, which will result in swinging the sections of the gate out of alinernent, thereby permitting the outer ends oi' said sections to be freed from their retaining cleats and be removed from the end ol the bed. Then returning the end gate to its initial position in the bed, the ends of the sections 1 and 2 are placed in position to register with their retaining cleats, when inward pressure is exerted on the hand hold and said sections swung into alinement with each other, this operation bringing the keeper 7 below the elevated end o'lI the latch 5 to receive the linger 6, and it will be readily seen that by providing the clip 1), the spring will. be prevented from. buckling and will exert positive downward pressure on the latch and hold the same against casual elevation, the clip 19 also protecting the spring against the inclemencies oii the weather.

What l claim is:

ln a securing device ot the class described, the combination with a pivoted latch, ol'Y a plate having integral wings adjacent one end thereof, a strap adapted to register with the said plate, the ends ot said strap being angular and contacting with the plate, said strap having llanges thereon adjacent one end to overlap the wings, said strap having a channel longitudinally thereof, a coil spring interposed between said plate and strap, the upper end of said spring being seated between the wings, the distance between. the opposed laces of the plate and the strap being less than the diameter oi" the spring, said latch extending between the plate and the strap, a substantially U-sliaped clip slidably mounted between the plate and the strap, one end of the spring contacting with the clip and the opposite end ol the spring contacting with an angular end portion olY the strap, said clip contacting with the latch.

ln testimony whereol l have signed niy name to this speciiication in the presence el' two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES lV. S'lAllli. ldlitnesses:

ABR.. JANZEN, C. C. Wines 

